Language in Luxembourg

Luxembourgish, also called Lëtzebuergesch, is a standardized West Germanic language with Moselle Franconian roots, French influence and many regional and local varieties. French is the language of legislation, and the French version of laws and implementing regulations is authoritative. Luxembourgish, French and German are the languages of administration and justice. People can submit an administrative request in any of these three languages. Authorities should respond in the chosen language, although written administrative communication is often in French and spoken communication frequently uses Luxembourgish. The language landscape is highly multilingual. In the 2021 Census, which allowed several languages to be named, residents reported Luxembourgish at 61.2%, French at 50.8%, English at 25.7%, German at 22.5% and Portuguese at 19.8%. The figures covered 477,061 residents, with an average of two reported languages per person. On 1 January 2025, 47.0% of residents did not hold Luxembourgish nationality. Between 2011 and 2021, Luxembourgish and German became relatively less common, while English and other languages increased. Language use changes with the setting. Luxembourgish is central in communication among Luxembourgers. French is widely used in trade, restaurants and as a bridge between Luxembourgish-speaking residents and people who use other languages. English functions as a common working language in European institutions, finance and parts of industry. Portuguese is strongly present in work and social life. Speakers often switch between languages during the same interaction, depending on the people involved and the setting. Luxembourgish has a standardized form, but regional speech differs across Luxembourg and nearby areas of eastern Belgium, the north-western Moselle region and the German-Luxembourg border. The Variatiounsatlas documents more than 250,000 submitted recordings and over 700 differences. These varieties belong to the language landscape but do not create separate official languages. Luxembourg has many smaller language communities. Research identifies 52 communities with more than 100 speakers, including Arabic, Tigrinya and Pular. South Slavic languages were reported by 11,682 people and formed the seventh-largest language community in the 2021 Census. Luxembourg ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2005, but it has not designated a traditional regional or minority language under the Charter. Migrant languages therefore do not have a separate national minority-language official status. Courts allow the use of Luxembourgish, French or German without a legally preferred language. Court proceedings commonly use French and/or Luxembourgish, while German is less frequent in practice. A party or witness who does not understand the proceedings can receive an interpreter; in civil cases, the requesting party initially bears the cost, subject to possible reimbursement, while in criminal cases the prosecution generally arranges interpretation. Petitions can also be submitted in Luxembourgish, French or German. Police services use the three official working languages, with additional languages depending on staff. Media and culture reflect the same distribution. Radio and television use Luxembourgish extensively. German has traditionally been strong in print, while French has gained ground and English is also present; articles in Luxembourgish are less common in print. Cinemas show original-language versions with subtitles or dubbed versions in German or French. Theatre can use Luxembourgish, German, French, English, Portuguese, Italian or other languages. Luxembourgish literature is published mainly in Luxembourgish, French and German, with additional works in English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Luxemburgensia covers works and printed material connected with Luxembourg regardless of language. The Government and Legilux provide the legal framework. STATEC publishes language statistics. The ZLS supports Luxembourgish spelling, terminology, dictionaries and language resources. The INLL is the public language-learning and certification centre and the national certification authority for Luxembourgish. Luxembourgish also has a specific role in naturalisation: the Sproochentest requires A2 spoken expression and B1 listening comprehension. Language courses are a related access pathway, but language choice in administration, justice, media, culture and public participation follows the wider multilingual system.